Developer adjusts Old Orchard Development plan, waits for OK

City to review proposal for 105 housing lots

A local developer is scheduled for a fourth date before the Evansville City Council in his attempt to win approval for a plan to build residences on Christ Road near Engelbrecht Orchard.

Dan Buck, the owner of Old Orchard Development LLC, went before the Area Plan Commission for a fourth time last week to present plans to put homes on the north side of Christ Road, on a stretch between Weaver Road and North Kentucky Avenue.

His proposal won a favorable recommendation from planning officials Thursday and will go before the City Council on Oct. 11 for a final vote.

In his three previous attempts, Buck's proposal had passed through the plan commission and he had taken his plan to the City Council only to be told he should revise the project to address concerns raised by neighbors.

Buck said council members will notice changes when he goes before them next month. Most important, he said, he has abandoned his plan to put condominiums on Christ Road and has instead chosen to build houses.

He also is asking for the zoning of the site to be changed to "R-1" residential zoning. His previous request was for an "R-3" zone, which would place fewer restrictions on the use of the site.

Despite the City Council's call for Buck to reach a compromise with neighbors, Buck said the changes have nothing to do with complaints made against his plan. He said he decided to build houses after studying market data and concluding demand was slowing for condominiums.

"The neighbors had no impact on my decision," he said. "It was the economy."

Murl Crowley, who lives on Christ Road, said he still doesn't like Buck's plans, "but it's better than what he first proposed."

Buck's current proposal calls for the division of the site north of Christ Road into 105 lots on which houses with a minimum of 1,500 square feet will be built. Buck estimated the project will cost $20 million.

Buck said he believes he will be able to sell two houses a month, even in the current economic conditions.

In one of Buck's previous proposals, brought before the City Council in July 2009, he talked about building between 150 and 160 condominiums and houses on the same site. Buck's company bought the land north of Christ Road from Engelbrecht Orchard in 2008.